Raptors, Eastern leaders in the NBA, visit Celtics to break taboo and to advantage in the playoffs

On Wednesday, the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics enter the court for a decisive duel in the NBA. What is at stake is not simply another victory for the playoffs - both teams are already guaranteed in the postseason. The match is worth the leadership of the Eastern Conference, a weight reward for any League team.
With 55 wins and 21 losses, the Raptors are the current leaders of the East. On Tuesday night, they visited the Cavaliers in Cleveland and were defeated by 112 to 106, but are still in charge. Already the Celtics occupy the second place of the table, in the glue of the rivals, with 52 victories and 24 defeats. The Boston franchise also went on court last night in Milwaukee, and lost to the Bucks by 106 to 102.

Thus, the Toronto meeting could narrow the gap between the franchises, further fueling the final stretch of the tournament. And there's more: last Saturday's Celtics and Raptors faced off in Boston, with home win 110-99.
Even without star Kyrie Irving, who is out because of a left knee injury, Marcus Morris and Jayson Tatum called in the charge and combined for 49 points, in a game with an electrifying finale with a right to fouls and expulsion from Morris.
On the Raptors' side, DeMar DeRozan was the pick of the game: he scored 32 points and double-doubled Serge Ibaka (15 points and 10 rebounds) and Jonas Valanciunas (13 points and 11 rebounds) to continue the fight until the last quarter , when the Celtics fired and managed to open a 13-point lead.Get VIP soccer tips and bet on your favourite match.

In addition to the rematch, the Raptors also bring pride to the Air Canada Center: they have been leading the East since Dec. 26, when they overcame the Celtics, and giving up the record mark is not an alternative. The opportunity to secure the first place in the conference, something unheard of in the history of the franchise, means ensuring the advantage of playing at home in the first three rounds of the playoffs.
For Boston, worth the honor: Kyrie Irving has traded the powerful Cleveland Cavaliers of LeBron James to show that he can be the protagonist and counts on his teammates to return from knee surgery with the team fighting for the title.

On the one hand, the duo DeRozan and Lowry wanting to make history and close with gold the most successful season in the trajectory of the franchise. On the other, Tatum, Morris and the fans for the return of Irving to, perhaps, end the season with the same start that started.
Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics have ESPN live broadcast from 9pm.